As European integration has progressed in the Monnet method, national leaders have become stuck in a 'representation spiral', which the recent crises accelerated to a point where major EU decisions can no longer be made, argues Balázs Kiss.

After eight years of struggle and soul-searching, the European Union's reform treaty came into force on 1 December 2009. EU leaders believe the Lisbon Treaty will rejuvenate the decision-making apparatus of the EU institutions, making the functioning of the 27-member Union more efficient and democratic.

So far, the EU's involvement in sport policy has revolved around its economic aspects but with the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty on 1 December 2009, Europe now has a legal base to provide a supporting role to member states in the social, educational and cultural aspects of sport.

Europe lacks a "grand design" and must move on from utilitarian concerns by becoming an "ideological project" if it is to have a significant impact at global level, argues prominent author and historian Elie Barnavi in an interview with EURACTIV.

Europe lacks a "grand design" and must move on from utilitarian concerns by becoming an "ideological project" if it is to have a significant impact at global level, argues prominent author and historian Elie Barnavi in an interview with EURACTIV.

A British businessman is taking the UK government to court today over its refusal to hold a referendum on the EU Treaty. The move adds to the feeling of uncertainty about the EU's future, with the 'yes' and 'no' camps neck-and-neck ahead of the Irish referendum on 12 June.

As latest polls reveal the anti-Lisbon Treaty camp in Ireland have taken the lead, the superstitious date of Friday 13 June 2008, when the results of the referendum will be officially announced, could see Europe thrown into an existential crisis.

The Treaty of Lisbon represents "another milestone" towards further EU integration in a journey which started over 20 years ago with the Single European Act, write Andreas Hofmann and Wolfgang Wessels of the University of Cologne in an article for 'Integration' magazine.

The EU is set to launch an Intergovernmental Conference in Brussels today (23 July) to revise its institutions and power-sharing system amid growing calls in the UK to submit the draft 'Reform Treaty' to a referendum.

Central and Eastern Europe has seen tremendous changes since the fall of the Berlin Wall, moving from state-sponsored socialism to market democracy and EU membership in less than 15 years. EURACTIV spoke with a leading academic about the legacy of enlargement, political and social realities in the new member states, and future challenges.

Valery Giscard d’Estaing, the 'father' of the EU Constitution rejected by French and Dutch voters in 2005, said the draft ‘Reform Treaty’ agreed at the June Summit only represented ‘cosmetic changes’ compared to the preivous version - in remarks that will comfort critics who argue that the new Treaty brings the Constitution in 'by the back door'.

EU member states have agreed on a blueprint for a new Treaty, rescuing a number of key institutional reforms but amending only the existing EU Framework. Hugo Brady, research fellow at the Centre for European Reform (CER), states that the Treaty is an admission that the enlarged Union has become much more diverse.

The European Parliament is expected to give the go-ahead for the 'Reform Treaty' mandate, despite criticism concerning the large number of exemptions and footnotes in the draft text agreed by EU leaders at the June Summit.

The deal clinched at the EU Summit on a 'Reform Treaty' to replace the stalled Constitution could still face a backlash during the ratification procedure as a number of member states, including Ireland and Denmark, prepare for referenda. In Britain, incoming Prime Minister Gordon Brown is under pressure from the opposition to hold a national vote.

Following a number of bilateral talks and round table meetings, diplomats were hopeful to reach an agreement among EU leaders on a 'Reform Treaty' on 22 June. However, key elements remained uncertain as the Summit promises to bring another late night of discussion.

EU leaders were scrambling to reach agreement over a draft mandate for institutional reform at a summit on 22 June. A Polish veto threat over voting rights in the Council and British 'red lines' on labour law, justice and other issues remained the main obstacles on the way to a deal.

Those member states who supported the original Constitutional Treaty (CT) should demand a radical revision of the current treaty amendment procedure in return for their readiness to compromise in the forthcoming intergovernmental conference (IGC), writes Janis A. Emmanouilidis of the Centre for Applied Policy Research (CAP) in a June 2007 paper.

A double-majority system with a safety clause could overcome Poland's request for a square root voting system in the Council, claim Daniel Gros, Sebastian Kurpas and Mika Widgren in a June 2007 paper for the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS).

Some 66% of Europeans - and 69% of Poles - want a Constitution to be adopted, according to a Eurobarometer survey, published hours before a decisive Brussels summit. However, British citizens remain highly critical of the EU.

There is a clear, positive relationship between a member state's power per person in the Council of Ministers and its receipts per person from the EU budget, declares Richard Baldwin of the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) in an 18 June post on the VOX web log.